Post navigation

Featured

During my stay at a beautiful Ashram in America long years ago, I was consumed with worry about my future. You see, I had jumped out of the mainstream by quitting a great job in Manhattan, sold my lovely apartment, left good friends behind, and landed in the Himalayas without a parachute in the middle of a grueling winter. From there, still restless and seeking, I had moved around in both East and West, on a quest for that perfect refuge where I could focus on my creative and spiritual goals. But nothing seemed to work out and by now I was truly sunk in misery.

A friend saw my sad face; impulsively, she tore a page out of the book she was reading and handed it to me. The title said: Do Not Be Serious About Anything: it was a message from the guru of that Ashram, who advised his students not to take mundane life too seriously, but instead to dive beneath the surface and find the constant peace and joy that is our true nature.

The message begins like this: “We cannot really save the world. We cannot even destroy the world. It is not in our hands. If that Supreme Power wanted to save the world, it wouldn’t even take a second. All of us could be saints and sages overnight. Instead the Divine is allowing us to be a little ignorant. That is His fun. But we forget this and take life too seriously.”Continue reading →

Share:

Like this:

French street artist and photographer Philippe Echaroux is bringing to light the impact of deforestation on the Amazonian Paiter Surui tribe. In a project, entitled ‘The Crying Forest’, Philippe Echaroux captured portraits of the indigenous tribe of western Brazil and projected them on to trees in their native land. Thanks for this wonderful share, Adele Ulnais!

The Crying Forest exhibition puts Amazon deforestation under the spotlight

French street artist and photographer Philippe Echaroux is bringing to light the impact of deforestation on the Amazonian Paiter Surui tribe.

In a project, entitled ‘The Crying Forest’, Philippe Echaroux captured portraits of the indigenous tribe of western Brazil and projected them on to trees in their native land.
Photographs from ‘The Crying Forest’ are currently on display at the Galerie Taglialatella in Paris, until 15 December.

Philippe Echaroux visited the Paiter Surui tribe earlier this year, where he photographed the indigenous natives for his project. The artist and photographer then created an installation by enlarging and projecting the images over Amazonian trees in the Surui area.

The Paiter Surui tribe currently numbers around 1,300 people. Through his art, Echaroux is raising awareness of the dangers of deforestation and the impact on the tribe and their lives.

Like this:

Being human…sometimes hard to cry when we are pressured into putting on those great smiles and joining others in celebrating major holidays. I’m weird in that I never ever enjoyed these holidays…perhaps as a child, for the special treats and gifts,..but not as an adult. I prefer to feel the way I’m feeling regardless of an event. And Jannie Styles points us that we should allow ourselves to feel all our feelings no matter what the occasion…and I second her! That said, happy happy end of year to you all!

Every time a special occasion is pending, a certain birthday, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, or another Christmas, I get a feeling in the pit of my stomach about how I will handle it without those loved ones who have already passed on. Christmas is one of the toughest times of year for many of us living with invisible illnesses whether they be mental, emotional or physical.

One of the first feelings to follow that awful “boot to the stomach sensation” is a sense of, well, I guess it is called “shame.” Shame that I can’t just buck up and join in, shame that I need to take time out to have a little cry in the bathroom, shame that while everyone is toasting and cheering and jollying along I fight back the tears and an urge to flee all things overwhelmingly festive.

Share:

Like this:

This is so beautiful….and true…I have come to realize how much we are helped – both by visible and invisible forces – once we surrender to our own Highest Self. Faith the size of a mustard seed is enough…it grows, yes, it grows, and can carry us all the way. Thanks, Harsh Luthar!

Barcelona-based illustrator Vorja Sánchez depicts comically surreal storybook creatures that look like a cross between mutant dinosaurs and shadowy demons — but also captures the very lifelike spirit of birds and other animals.